A 31-year-old plastic surgeon from Farnley put in a marathon effort to conquer the TCS 2024 London Marathon while raising funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Chiraag Karia joined a team of 800 BHF runners who took to the streets of London yesterday (Sunday, 21 Apri)l all with the same mission to fund lifesaving research.
The iconic event raised more than £1.4 million for the BHF, which will enable the charity to continue to fund groundbreaking research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases.
Chiraag, who completed the gruelling 26.2-mile course in 4:50, raised an incredible £3,000.
He took on the challenge because his family has a history of cardiomyopathy and Chiraag himself has a genetic susceptibility to the condition. Cardiomyopathy is a type of heart disease that affects the walls of the heart.
After Chiraag’s uncle was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2019, the family were advised to get genetic testing for the condition which is when Chiraag was told he did have the gene.
As Chiraag is a doctor, he was keen to research the condition in depth and discovered the BHF’s pioneering research into treatments and cures. From this, he was inspired to fundraise for the charity. With London Marathon on his bucket list, he believed this was the perfect opportunity to support the BHF.
Upon crossing the finish line, Chriaag said: “Taking part in the 2024 TCS London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), was such a huge challenge and an incredible experience. The atmosphere around the course was electric and it was amazing having so many people cheering me on, it made me even more determined to cross the finish line.
“The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases. I’m proud that I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.”
Andy Tribe, Events Manager at the BHF, added: “It’s fantastic to see Chiraag’s courage and determination in helping us fund lifesaving research. Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners and the commitment of people like Chriaag, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.
“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was incredible to see Chiraag and 800 others take on such a gruelling challenge to help save and improve lives.”
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